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☆ Launch of arthritis drug biosimilars ramps up US pressure on pricing 'middlemen'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Patrick Wingrove | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Seven drugmakers this month launched their own versions, known as biosimilars, of AbbVie's (ABBV.N) flagship arthritis drug Humira, once the world's top-selling prescription medicine. Three have kept their list price within 5%-7% of AbbVie's, two priced at an 85% discount and two have offered both types of prices. For insured patients who are often on the hook for co-pays of 10% to 25% of the list price, the savings have been minimal. Reuters GraphicsThe Biden administration has made lowering drug prices a priority. Amgen offered 5% and 55% discounts to AbbVie's $6,922 per month Humira price tag, and both were included on drug coverage lists at two large PBMs.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Humira, Ameet Sarpatwari, Biden, PBMs, Cigna, UnitedHealth, Amgen, Robin Feldman, Ron Wyden, Wyden, Chuck Grassley, Grassley, Patrick Wingrove, Moira Warburton, Josephine Walker, Caroline Humer, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Association for Accessible Medicines, Harvard Medical School, Reuters, Lawmakers, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, CVS, Biosimilars, Healthcare, Novartis, Sandoz, Reuters Graphics Reuters, University California College of the, Democratic, Republican, Thomson Locations: U.S, Humira, San Francisco, New York, Washington

July 14 (Reuters) - UnitedHealth Group's (UNH.N) quarterly profit beat Wall Street estimates on Friday as a smaller-than-expected jump in medical costs allayed fears that a resumption in long-delayed surgical procedures would hit profit growth, sending its shares up 5%. The beat from the industry bellwether lifted the shares of rivals Humana (HUM.N), Cigna (CI.N), CVS Health (CVS.N) and Elevance Health (ELV.N) between 2% and 5%. Chief financial officer John Rex said the company expects medical costs for the third quarter to be "a little bit lower" compared to the second quarter. UnitedHealth's profit of $6.14 per share for the second quarter beat analysts' expectations of $5.99, according to Refinitiv. Reporting by Bhanvi Satija and Raghav Mahobe in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja DesaiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: John Rex, Stephens, Scott Fidel, UnitedHealth, Humana, Bhanvi Satija, Pooja Desai Organizations: Wall, Humana, CVS Health, Elevance, Health, Medicare, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

UnitedHealth Group (UNH.N) jumped 7.2% after the health insurer's quarterly profit beat analysts' average estimate, as the industry bellwether's expenses came in lower than feared. Wells Fargo (WFC.N) gained 0.8% after reporting a 57% rise in quarterly profit. Citigroup (C.N) fell 2.9% after the lender's quarterly profit tumbled 36% as weakness in its trading business blunted gains in its personal banking and wealth management unit. The S&P 500 banks index (.SPXBK) shed 0.8%, erasing early gains. Of the 30 companies in the S&P 500 index that have reported earnings to date, 80% beat analysts' expectations, as per Refinitiv Data.

Persons: Wells, JPMorgan Chase, First Republic Bank . Wells Fargo, Banks, They've, Robert Pavlik, bullish, Morgan, Johann M Cherian, Saumyadeb Chakrabarty, Sriraj, Maju Samuel, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: JPMorgan, Dow, Nasdaq, Wall Street, UnitedHealth, JPMorgan Chase, Rivals, First Republic Bank . Wells, Dakota Wealth, Citigroup, BlackRock, Dow Jones, Microsoft, UBS, Nvidia, NYSE, Thomson Locations: Wells Fargo, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ NASA's James Webb telescope spotted two stars crashing into each other so violently it could have created gold in space
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The James Webb Space Telescope picked up the blast from two neutron stars colliding. The blast, called a kilonova, created the perfect conditions to make space gold and platinum. The death of two neutron starsAn artist's impressino of a kilonova NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/CI LabA kilonova happens when two neutron stars — collapsed supermassive stars — gravitate around one another and eventually crash. This particular blast, called GRB 230307A, was first detected by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope on March 7, 2023, per Space.com. These only arise in very limited circumstances, like when two neutron stars collide.

Persons: James Webb, JWST, Fermi, Gold, Uli Deck, Andrew Levan Organizations: James Webb Space Telescope, Service, James Webb Space, Space Flight, Getty, Radboud University Locations: Wall, Silicon, Netherlands

☆ CI Barrett's Amy Kong details her tech and healthcare stock playbook
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCI Barrett's Amy Kong details her tech and healthcare stock playbookAmy Kong, CI Barrett Asset Management CIO, joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss navigating the tech rally and health care names.

Persons: Amy Kong Organizations: Barrett, Management

☆ UnitedHealth falls on warning of higher medical costs, drags down rivals
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Leroy Leo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The warning also dragged down shares of rival health insurers that largely benefited from delayed non-urgent surgeries such as hip and knee replacements and hospital staffing shortages that had further led to fewer procedures. UnitedHealth, at a Goldman Sachs healthcare conference, highlighted elevated demand for outpatient medical procedures, particularly related to knees and hips, from patients in Medicare health plans meant for those aged 65 and above. UnitedHealth also expects its full-year medical loss ratio at the upper end of its forecast. UnitedHealth's 18.51 forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio - a common benchmark for valuing stocks - is higher than rival Cigna Corp's (CI.N) 10.29 and CVS Health Corp (CVS.N) 8.26. Shares of Humana Inc (HUM.N) fell 7%, while Elevance Health and CVS Health Corp's (CVS.N) fell more than 3% each in premarket trading.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Tim Noel, UnitedHealth, Julie Utterback, Cigna Corp's, Leroy Leo, Shinjini Organizations: UnitedHealth, Goldman, CVS Health Corp, Humana Inc, Elevance, CVS Health, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo/File PhotoJune 14 (Reuters) - Health insurer stocks dropped sharply on Wednesday after UnitedHealth Group (UNH.N) said costs were on the rise for the largest U.S. healthcare provider by market value due to an increase in surgeries among older adults. Shares of industry bellwether UnitedHealth fell 7.3% to $455.11, wiping out roughly $42 billion from the company's market capitalization in the current trading session. Meanwhile, stocks of medical device makers and hospital operators rose, as increased frequency of surgeries mean more revenue for them. The company highlighted strong demand for hip and knee procedures at outpatient centers, as well as for home health services and behavioral services. Elevance Health (ELV.N), CVS Health Corp (CVS.N), Centene Corp (CNC.N) and Cigna Group (CI.N) fell between 6% and 7.5%.

Persons: Mike Blake, bellwether, UnitedHealth, Jefferies, Brian Tanquilut, Zimmer Biomet, Leroy Leo, Bhanvi, Manas Mishra, Shinjini Organizations: REUTERS, UnitedHealth, Medicare, Humana Inc, Reuters Graphics, Elevance, CVS Health Corp, Centene Corp, Cigna, Elevance Health Inc, CVS, Healthcare, Tenet Healthcare, Stryker, Thomson Locations: Santa Ana , California, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Markets pricing out rate cuts for this year is the right move, says RegentAtlantic's Andy Kapyrin
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMarkets pricing out rate cuts for this year is the right move, says RegentAtlantic's Andy KapyrinPaul Donovan, chief economist at UBS Global Wealth Management, and AAndy Kapyrin, CI RegentAtlantic Private Wealth co-CIO, join 'The Exchange' to discuss the Fed's next policy move, signs of moderating inflation, and companies pushing off costs on to consumers.

Persons: Andy Kapyrin Paul Donovan, AAndy Organizations: UBS Global Wealth Management, Wealth

☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls of the day: Tesla, Apple, FedEx, Adobe, AT&T, Coinbase and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Bank of America upgrades McCormick to buy from underperform Bank of America said it sees an improved cost outlook for McCormick. "Our prior Underperform rating was predicated on negative revision risk to revenues and margins. Bank of America upgrades Molson Coors to neutral from underperform Bank of America said Molson is poised for share gains after the Bud controversy. Bank of America upgrades Cigna to buy from neutral Bank of America said it sees an attractive risk/reward outlook for the stock. Piper Sandler reiterates Tesla as overweight Piper said Tesla shares aren't cheap but is standing by its overweight rating.

Persons: D.A, Davidson, Goldman Sachs, it's, We're, McCormick, Molson, Bud, MoffettNathanson, JPMorgan Chase downgrades Cabot, JPMorgan Chase, Cabot, Morgan Stanley, AMCX, Piper Sandler, Tesla, Piper, Mizuho, Coinbase, … Organizations: . Deutsche Bank, Shell Deutsche Bank, Shell, Apple, Holdings, Bank of America, underperform Bank of America, Molson Coors, Bud Light, Barclays, Adobe, " Bank of America, of America, JPMorgan, FedEx, UPS, RBC, AMC Networks, UW, U.S . Securities, Exchange, SEC, Binance Locations: Washington, Americas, China

☆ Mexican peso to stay strong despite end of central bank tightening cycle, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Noe Torres | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, May 19 (Reuters) - The Mexican peso could remain the top performer among major global currencies in the coming weeks, despite Mexico's central bank choosing to halt a nearly two-year rate-hike cycle, analysts said. The Mexican peso has gained nearly 10% so far this year, driven mainly by the dollar's decline and money entering the country since the central bank started hiking interest rates in June 2021. Reuters GraphicsIn the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, seen as a market bellwether, speculators on different types of assets have been increasingly betting that the Mexican currency will keep appreciating. These positions, anticipating further strengthening of the peso since mid-March, reached 70,007 contracts in favor of the currency last week, a level not seen since March 2020. Considering these factors, Mexican economists expect the peso to weaken to 19.13 by year-end, a survey by the central bank showed, while a poll of Citibanamex experts estimated the figure at 19.20.

☆ These are the top 10 stocks held by 'Big Short' investor Michael Burry
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Michael Burry invested a lot of money into the stock market last quarter, according to 13F filings. The "Big Short" investor who has held a bearish tilt towards stocks initiated 17 new positions last quarter. These are the top 10 stocks held by Burry's Scion Asset Management as of March 31. Burry posted on Twitter on multiple occasions over the last few months that he had a bearish view on stocks. These are the top 10 stocks held by Burry's Scion Asset Management as of March 31.

☆ US FTC expands probe into pharmacy benefit managers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said it had sought information from two privately held companies that negotiate drug rebates on behalf of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) as part of its probe into how PBMs affect pricing of prescription drugs. The two companies, Zinc Health Services and Ascent Health Services, are group purchasing organizations, that negotiate after-market discounts or rebates with drug manufacturers on behalf of PBMs and hold the contracts that govern those rebates. Zinc Health negotiates rebates for CVS Health Corp (CVS.N) and Ascent Health for Cigna Group's (CI.N) Express Scripts unit and Prime Therapeutics, which is a privately held PBM, the FTC said on Wednesday. PBMs act as middlemen and negotiate rebates and fees with drug manufacturers, create lists of medications that are covered by insurance, and reimburse pharmacies for patients' prescriptions. Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Egypt sells $121.6 mln stake in state-controlled Telecom Egypt
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CAIRO, May 14 (Reuters) - Egypt's government sold a 9.5% stake in state-controlled Telecom Egypt (ETEL.CA) for 3.75 billion Egyptian pounds ($121.6 million), the finance ministry said in a statement on Sunday, breathing life into a privatisation programme that had seemingly stalled. The stock exchange said on Sunday the sale of 162.2 million shares of Telecom Egypt had been executed for a total 3.75 billion pounds. Another 0.5% of the shares are now being offered to Telecom Egypt employees until May 25. The two-part sale will reduce the government's stake in Telecom Egypt to 70% from the previous 80%, with the other 20% floating on the Egyptian Exchange. The ministry statement did not say what portion of the shares were sold to local buyers as opposed to non-Egyptians.

Both sides blame each other for high drug prices. Senator Bernie Sanders, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, is a fierce critic of both industries and will likely grill the executives. Optum Rx CEO Heather Cianfrocco will say manufacturers alone set the drug prices and abuse patent protections to stifle competition, her written testimony shows. Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi all said in March they were cutting list prices by more than 70% for some insulin products. Uninsured people often have to pay full list prices, an average of $900 a month, forcing many to ration or skip doses.

☆ A solid start to earnings season will be put to the test in the week ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

The biggest week of this earnings season showed us that things aren't as bad as many feared. The week ahead of earnings, including several more Club names, should tell us more. The results are always important, but it's the guidance and management commentary we will really hone in on to better understand the path ahead. In Amazon's case, a solid first quarter for its AWS cloud business was overshadowed by management seeing a material slowdown in April. ET: Nonfarm Payrolls Looking back It was the biggest week of this earnings season for the Club as several of our mega-cap holdings and industry bellwethers reported results.

April 26 (Reuters) - Humana Inc (HUM.N) raised its annual adjusted profit forecast on Wednesday after lower medical costs in the firm's government-backed health insurance business helped it beat profit estimates for the first quarter. Some analysts stressed on increased investor scrutiny into whether certain one-time items were helping lower medical costs artificially. Humana CFO Susan Diamond said the insurer saw favorable cost trends in the quarter even as hospitals reported a recovery in procedures. On an adjusted basis, Humana expects annual profit per share of at least $28.25, compared with its previous forecast of at least $28. For the first quarter, it reported adjusted profit of $9.38 per share, beating estimates of $9.27.

☆ Jim Cramer's top 10 things to watch in the stock market Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Barclays cut its price target on Club holding Constellation Brands (STZ) to $277 per share, from $279, while maintaining an overweight rating. The bank maintained a price target of $390 per share, along with an overweight rating. Citi reiterated neutral ratings on chipmakers Intel (INTC) and Club holding Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), a result of ongoing weak cloud demand. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.

TORONTO, April 10 (Reuters) - Glencore Plc (GLEN.L) Chief Executive Gary Nagle plans to meet with some of Teck Resources Ltd's (TECKb.TO) Canadian shareholders in Toronto this Thursday to personally lobby them for support of Glencore's proposed takeover of the copper and zinc miner, according to a source who was invited. Royal Bank of Canada's (RY.TO) RBC Capital Markets will host the Toronto lunch meeting, according to Jonathan Case of CI Global Asset Management, a Teck shareholder who was invited. RBC has been one of Glencore's bankers in the past. Teck's executives on Monday reinforced their rejection of Glencore's unsolicited $22.5 billion takeover offer. Reporting by Divya Rajagopal in Toronto; Editing by Ernest Scheyder and Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Jim Cramer's top 10 things to watch in the stock market Wednesday: New dawn for JNJ, Disney push, Meta upgrade
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Meta Platforms (META) price target raised to $250 from $225 at Jeffries. Federal Realty (FRT) price target lowered to $111 from $118 at Piper Sandler. Bank of America raises price target for Apple to $168 from $158, keeps a neutral rating on shares. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.

☆ Here are Wednesday's top analyst calls of the day: Disney, Apple, Amazon, Dutch Bros, Meta & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here are Wednesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Bank of America reiterates Disney as buy Bank of America said Disney remains "best-in-class." Piper Sandler reiterates Apple as overweight Piper said its survey checks show Apple is still a top pick for teens. Bank of America upgrades Livent to buy from neutral Bank of America said the lithium company's "value proposition" has increased. " Wedbush upgrades Dutch Bros to outperform from neutral Wedbush upgraded the coffee chain and said it sees more upside. Bank of America reiterates Apple as buy Bank of America raised its price target on Apple to $168 per share from $158 and said it sees iPhone trends stabilizing.

WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - The U.S. government announced on Friday a lower than expected 1.1% average cut of 2024 reimbursement rates for health insurers that offer coverage through the Medicare Advantage program, boosting shares of the market's largest players. Health insurers who operate Medicare Advantage plans have come under pressure after the government last month proposed new rules for an audit program to avoid overpaying them. The companies are among the largest players in the Medicare Advantage market in which private insurers are paid a set rate by the government to manage member healthcare. Medicare Advantage covers nearly half of the 65 million people enrolled in the government's Medicare program for people aged 65 and older or disabled. The agency pegged the spending increase in the traditional Medicare program, which in previous years was the main factor determining how much the agency pays Medicare Advantage insurers, at 2.3%, up from 2.1% in its initial proposal.

☆ First Republic seeks new ways to escape unrealized losses
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

March 21 (Reuters) - First Republic Bank's (FRC.N) efforts to secure a capital infusion continued without success on Tuesday, as the troubled regional lender started to plan for the possibility it may need to downsize or get a government backstop. Bloomberg News reported U.S. officials and Wall Street leaders seeking to aid First Republic were exploring the possibility of government backing that would help overcome the issue of the bank's unrealized losses. JPMorgan is advising First Republic on its options to raise capital from investors, a source familiar with the situation previously said. "There are a number of factors lifting the (financial) stocks, including the comments by Yellen. "We believe First Republic remains in crisis," said Jason Benowitz, senior portfolio manager at CI Roosevelt.

☆ First Republic slumps after report of potential government backing in deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

March 21 (Reuters) - Shares of First Republic Bank (FRC.N) tumbled 14% in extended trade on Tuesday following a report that a potential deal for the troubled bank could rely on government backing to encourage buyers. Potential government backing in a deal to save First National could involve conditions at the expense of the bank's shareholders, said Dennis Dick, a trader at Triple D Trading in Ontario, Canada. While a sale of the entire bank remains possible, First Republic is currently focused on raising capital, the third source said. First Republic's shares had surged as much as 60% on Tuesday before closing up 30%, but even so First Republic's stock has lost over 80% in value in the past two weeks. JPMorgan is advising First Republic on its options to raise capital from investors, a source familiar with the situation previously said.

☆ U.S. banks' CDS prices surge as contagion concern widens
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Mehnaz Yasmin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

March 15 (Reuters) - A jump in the cost for Wall Street banks to insure bonds against default on Wednesday was another worrisome indicator of credit stress for investors amid the crisis at Credit Suisse and at U.S. regional banks. Swiss bank Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) fell to a record low on Wednesday. Five-year credit default swaps for the flagship Swiss bank hit a new record high. Credit default swaps on Credit Suisse also inverted on Wednesday with the two-year rising above the five-year, and both hit a new 52-week high, according to data from Ortex. Some analysts believe that the larger banks are resilient and are more worried about the smaller and mid-sized banks.

☆ Watch CNBC's full interview with Bleakley Financial Group's Peter Boockvar, Laffer Tengler's Nancy Tengler and CI RegentAtlantic's Andy Kapyrin
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC's full interview with Bleakley Financial Group's Peter Boockvar, Laffer Tengler's Nancy Tengler and CI RegentAtlantic's Andy KapyrinAndy Kapyrin, CI RegentAtlantic private wealth co-CIO, Nancy Tengler, CEO and CIO at Laffer Tengler Investments and Peter Boockvar, Bleakley Financial Group CIO, join 'The Exchange' to discuss pricing in the Fed's rate decision, mounting recession concerns, and the market response to banking sector turmoil.

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